Linus Benedict Torvalds (born December 28, 1969) began the development of Linux, an operating systemkernel, and today acts as the project co-ordinator. Inspired by the demo-system Minix developed by Andrew Tanenbaum, he felt the need for a capable UNIX operating system that he could run on his home PC. Torvalds did the original development of the Linux kernel primarily in his own time and on his equipment.
The Linux kernel, when combined with software developed by many others (mainly the GNU system) results in a so-called Linux distribution. Many people refer to this combination as just Linux (which is misleading), or as GNU/Linux.

Unlike many open source "evangelists", Torvalds is keeping a low profile and generally refuses to comment on competing software products, such as Microsoft's dominant Windows operating system. Nevertheless, Torvalds has occasionally reacted with strong statements to what is perceived as FUD from proprietary software vendors like Microsoft.

For example, in one e-mail reaction to statements by Microsoft Senior-VP Craig Mundie, who criticized open source software for not being innovative and destructive to intellectual property, Torvalds wrote: "I wonder if Mundie has ever heard of Sir Isaac Newton? He's not only famous for having set the foundations for classical mechanics (and the original theory of gravitation, which is what most people remember, along with the apple tree story), but he is also famous for how he acknowledged the achievement: If I have been able to see further, it was only because I stood on the shoulders of giants." Added Torvalds: "I'd rather listen to Newton than to Mundie. He may have been dead for almost three hundred years, but despite that he stinks up the room less."

Linus Torvalds originally used the Minix OS on his system which he replaced by his OS which he gave a working name of Linux (Linus' Minix). He thought the name to be too egotistical and planned to have it named Freax(free + freak + x).
His friend Ari Lemmke[?] encouraged Linus to upload it to a network so it could be easily downloaded. Ari gave Linus a directory called linux on his FTP server, as he did not like the name Freax.